Kalimpong Launches ₹196.56-Crore AMRUT 2.0 Water Project to End Chronic Shortages

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurates major infrastructure initiatives remotely as GTA Chief Executive Anit Thapa launches Kalimpong’s largest-ever drinking water project

KalimNews, December 2025, Kalimpong : In a significant step towards resolving Kalimpong’s longstanding water scarcity, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chief Executive Anit Thapa formally laid foundation stone of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) water supply project at the Kalimpong Town Hall. The project, implemented under the Kalimpong Municipality, is designed to bring metered drinking water to all 23 municipal wards in two phases.

The scheme carries an estimated cost of ₹196.56 crore, to be financed jointly by the Central Government (50%), the State Government of West Bengal (45%), and the Kalimpong Municipality (5%). The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee virtually inaugurated the project from Cooch Behar, where she also laid the foundation stones for 34 projects worth ₹304.91 crore for Kalimpong district. Among these, AMRUT 2.0 stands out as one of the most critical. She further inaugurated 27 completed projects totalling ₹30.03 crore, while also laying foundations for initiatives across eight districts.

Speaking during the ceremony, Thapa congratulated the people of Kalimpong, and explained that water would be sourced from the Teesta River near Bhalu Khola, collected and pumped in phases through the Dumping Ground, Mahakal Danra, and ultimately to the Deolo Lake reservoir. From there, it will be distributed across all wards via metered household connections.

Thapa also praised Ravi Pradhan, Chairperson of Kalimpong Municipality, describing him as “highly successful” and stating that Kalimpong should formally felicitate him for his service. He thanked all individuals and organisations who contributed to identifying workable solutions to the chronic water issues affecting the town.

Speaking on the occasion Ravi Pradhan, the Chairperson of Kalimpong Municipality stated that the entire system—originally built during the British era—has become severely outdated, and stressed the urgency of establishing a modern, robust water distribution network. The new scheme will overhaul the old pumping line from Newar Gaon to Mahakal Danra and onwards to Deolo, ensuring reliability and increased capacity.

To expand storage and uninterrupted distribution, the project will include the construction of 24 MS steel tanks across 12 zones within the municipality’s 23 wards, enabling a 24-hour supply. Pradhan proposed forming ward-level monitoring committees to oversee construction and ensure transparency. Implementation will be supervised by the State Urban Development Department or Municipal Affairs Department.Chairperson Ravi Pradhan urged all local organisations to monitor the construction closely to ensure its successful and timely completion.

Providing technical details, the Municipality confirmed that the project is designed to serve a population of 60,000. While the current population requires 6.25 million litres per day (MLD), the old system supplies only 2.15 MLD. After expansion, the system is expected to supply 8.93 MLD over the next three decades.

The new submerged intake system at Bhalu Khola will have a capacity of 9.3 MLD, supported by a booster pumping station at the Dumping Ground, with subsequent pumping to Mahakal Danra and finally to Deolo Civil Lake, covering a total distance of 12.908 km from source to reservoir. Water will be treated according to WHO standards, including chlorination, at a 7.5 MLD Water Treatment Plant before being channelled through a 213-km distribution network.

During Phase II, the distribution system will be extended directly to every household.

The AMRUT 2.0 project marks one of Kalimpong’s most ambitious infrastructure initiatives to date, promising to deliver long-awaited relief to residents by establishing a sustainable and modern water supply system for the future.